Nightmare
by Lady Callista
Summary: Emma knew it had only been a nightmare, yet before she could rationalize herself out of it she was picking up the phone to make sure he was okay. (Captain Swan, around 4.6 but no real spoilers cannon compliant)
1. Lean On Me

Disclaimer: I do not in anyway own Once Upon A Time. ABC, Disney, and whoever else have that distinction. No profit is being made, and no copywrite infringement in intended.

AN: Again the episode doesn't give much fanfic fodder, but here's a cute little Captain Swan fic that could totally fit in at some point around 4.6. No real spoilers this time.

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><p><span>Nightmare<span>

by Lady Callista

_OoOoOoO_

_"Please, swallow your pride, If I have things you need to borrow._

_For no one can fill those of your needs that you won't let show." -Lean On Me_

_OoOoOoO_

Emma woke up drenched in sweat, her scream of his name still echoing through her head.

She didn't spare a thought to be relieved that the scream hadn't been out loud, -she really, really needed her own place- nor did she focus enough to realize that the display on her cell phone when she picked it up read 2:27 AM.

She was still shaking when he answered on the second ring. "What's wrong?"

The relief at hearing his voice washed through her, forcing her to take a few deep, shuddering breaths. Her mind finally caught up to her instincts as she realized it was the the middle of the night, and that he was now saying her name urgently. "Nothing's wrong. I'm okay, everything's okay, I just..."

"Is there someone else there? Can you not speak freely?"

The oddness of the question was enough to make her chuckle, the last of the adrenaline from the nightmare finally dissipating and allowing her to think normally. "What movies have you and Henry been watching when I'm working nights?"

Something in her tone of voice communicated that everything really was okay, and the panic left his voice to be replaced with teasing, "Well there's this show about a pirate captain of a ship that flies the stars -because it's meant to, not because of a phoenix feather sail. I rather like his views on life, although the wench he argues with but obviously fancies is not nearly as attractive as the one I ended up with."

Her heart jolted at that, but not as much as it once would have. "Why am I not surprised that you like Mal? So the whole communicating in code thing..."

He chuckled again. "I hardly needed your television to learn that. And these magic phones of yours may make it quicker luv, but I'm rather adept at communicating clandestinely. Pirate."

And a very adaptable pirate at that. "A phone isn't magic." She said automatically even as she smiled slightly at the fact that the modern words no longer sounded strange in his mouth. She didn't know or care enough to really be able to explain how any of the technologies he marveled at actually worked, she'd taken them for granted too long, but she made up her mind to find the time to introduce him to Google search. After engaging the Safe Search function, her mind quickly amending, not wanting to think about what would happen when her pirate discovered porn.

Emma shook that thought away to focus back on the conversation at hand.

She remembered then him telling her a while ago that pirates always wrote their maps in code, and it really hadn't surprised her that that particular thing about pirates was true even when many others weren't, so she would have laughed with him if not for the embarrassment that was slowly starting to wind through her.

Although his voice had sounded clear when he answered, she had likely woken him from sleep. Yet even now that he knew nothing was wrong he wasn't asking her why she had called or pushing her for anything. He was simply teasing her as if she had called at a perfectly normal time, and Emma knew that he would let her play it that way if she wanted.

And it was because he would let her that she didn't feel like she needed to. Emma swallowed her pride, took a deep breath, and whispered, "I dreamt she killed you."

"Oh, luv." His voice was soft, any hint of teasing long gone. "I told you not to worry about me, remember?"

"And if I told you the same thing, could you do it?" Emma hated how hard it was to control her voice, to keep it from breaking.

"I concede the point." He said after a brief pause, everything he felt for her naked in his voice. "It was just a nightmare, luv. It wasn't real. I'm right here."

"I know it was a nightmare, I know, I just... I woke up and I had to be sure." The first part of the sentence was an angry whisper, the second half a broken almost-sob Emma almost immediately hated herself for.

"I'm not in Davey Jone's locker yet lass, and I have no plans of going there anytime soon." His voice was soothing, patient, and he let a brief silence hold before lightening his voice and reverting back to affectionate teasing, "Although I must say my heart leaps that you worried enough to call."

"Of course I did." She snapped, then took a deep breath and lowered her voice again. Her door was closed, but the loft wasn't that big, and with a baby in the house none of them slept heavily, not that they ever really had.

She didn't want the teasing, she was embarrassed enough about the fact that she'd called him like a child seeking reassurance. But she wasn't good at dealing with the care and concern that had been in his voice before either. She remembered the fear again from the dream and lashed out, and although she did still keep her voice quiet there was steel and heat burning through it, "And you're not going to tell me everything is going to be okay? You're not going to tell me to be brave? Or to be strong and believe in myself?"

Killian's reply was immediate, his voice gentle again and devastatingly open. "I do believe that everything will be okay, and most of the time you do as well. As for the other, I've seen you in action, luv. I know you're brave, I know you're strong, and you're not a woman who likes to waste time with the obvious."

"Yeah, I'm so strong that I called you at two in the morning because I had a bad dream." Her voice was filled with self-deprecation.

"You don't always have to be the strong one, Emma. It's okay to lean on someone else every once and awhile."

His uncharacteristic use of her first name made her pause, and actually think about what he had said instead of just snapping back again. He knew her far too well.

"Do you want me to come over?"

Her thoughts lurched back into focus as he asked the question softly, likely worried that she hadn't responded to his previous statement. But just the offer had loosened something within her, made the last vestiges of fear melt away as she felt herself smile. "I don't think I'm up for pillaging and plundering at the moment."

For once he didn't rise to the teasing. "You know that's not what I mean, lass."

"You're offering to come over so that I don't have to be brave and strong. And I think that's all I needed." She felt the nerves fluttering in her stomach at his offer, at knowing he meant it absolutely. He would drag himself out of bed at this ungodly hour and walk through the cold night if she asked him to. And he wouldn't think any less of her for needing him.

"I can be there in..."

"No, I don't need you to come over. I guess I just needed you to say you would. Which is stupid, but..."

He cut her off at once. "It's not. I'm not used to having anyone I can lean on either, luv. Not used to having someone I can call in the wee hours before dawn, when dreams won't allow me to rest."

"You're not used to being able to _call_ anyone."

He chuckled then, allowing her space as he always did when things got too emotional and she had to fight the urge to run. "You know what I mean, luv."

"I do." Emma admitted softly, "I'm used to going it alone, and I'm working on that not being my default, because, because I don't always want to be alone. Sometimes I hate you for figuring that out, even before I did."

"Open book, remember?"

"I'm sorry I woke you." She shied away, having bared all she was able to tonight.

"It's more than okay, luv, as you well know." He replied, and she could hear the smile in his voice. "Do you want to continue talking, or would you rather try to return to your slumber?"

"I think I can sleep now." Her voice was barely a whisper. "Killian, thank you."

"Whatever you need, luv, no matter the hour. You know that."

"I do." Emma answered softly. "It's still hard to believe at times."

"As long as it's easier than it used to be." His voice was a sweet caress.

"It is." She admitted. "Goodnight, pirate."

"Sweet dreams, my princess."

He hung up before she could object to either of the last two words.

Emma set her phone back on the nightstand, rolling over and trying to get comfortable again. She closed her eyes and immediately saw the nightmare image of his frozen body. She opened her eyes at once, forced her thoughts to take a happier turn.

She remembered the smirk he'd given her before their first kiss, the gentle look of affection tinged with joy and almost wonder after their second. The teasing way his hand would run through her hair, and how he held her when they kissed.

She was too wrapped up in him to not dream of him, but as she drifted back into slumber with the remembered taste of him on her lips she knew that at least this time the dreams would be pleasant.

THE END


	2. Not Alone

Disclaimer: I do not in anyway own Once Upon A Time. ABC, Disney, and whoever else have that distinction. No profit is being made, and no copywrite infringement in intended.

AN: So this was marked as complete previously, and I thought it was, but Killian's been begging me to tell his version of this one. It's still harder for me to get into his head than into Emma's, but I'm going to try. I've only done this once before, trying to tell the same story from another perspective, so bear with me please and hopefully you'll all enjoy it. So here's Nightmare 2.0, the same story but from Killian's perspective.

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><p><span>Nightmare<span>

by Lady Callista

_OoOoOoO_

_"Baby, you're not alone, 'cause you're here with me and nothing's ever gonna bring us down._

_'Cause nothing can keep me from lovin' you, and you know it's true_

_It don't matter what'll come to be, our love is all we need to make it through..." _

_-Not Alone by Darren Criss_

_OoOoOoO_

Drawn like a moth to a flame, Killian stepped up behind Emma where she stood at the railing of the Jolly Roger, watching the sunset and allowing the wind to play with her hair.

He wrapped his arms around her gently, sighing when she leaned back against his chest and brought her own arms up to wrap around his. "What are you thinking about, luv?"

"Trying not to think at all, actually." She sighed again as he began dropping light kisses on the side of her neck.

"Not thinking sounds just about perfect." Killian turned her in his arms and their lips met in a kiss that started off sweet and passionate at the same time.

There was a sudden rumble of thunder, and Killian broke the kiss with a gasp, looking up in confusion at the blue sky just as the sound of lightning sizzled as if it had struck not a foot away from him.

Killian jerked awake with a gasp, confused for an instant before he remembered that Henry had programmed the thunderstorm as Emma's ringtone just the other day, when Killian had made an offhand comment on how much the sounds available on his phone annoyed him. The lad had asked what he'd rather hear, and Killian had said nature sounds, suggesting a thunderstorm because after so long on the open seas his body was trained to go on alert at the first hint of a storm.

The second clash of lightning had just begun when he grabbed the phone from beside the bed, noting the time almost absently. He felt his heartbeat accelerate, "What's wrong?" He could hear her breathing, but that fact that she didn't answer sent a shot of adrenaline through him as his voice rose, "Swan? Swan!"

"Nothing's wrong. I'm okay, everything's okay, I just..."

She certainly didn't sound okay, and he suddenly wondered if she was trying to tell him something. "Is there someone else there? Can you not speak freely?"

He was confused when he heard her chuckle before her voice came again, slightly calmer than before. "What movies have you and Henry been watching when I'm working nights?"

Killian heard the trickle of amusement in her voice, and while whatever had spooked her before was obviously still on her mind it was clear she didn't want to talk about it yet. So he forced himself to calm down, lying back in his bed and making sure his smirk showed in his voice, "Well there's this show about a pirate captain of a ship that flies the stars -because it's meant to, not because of a phoenix feather sail. I rather like his views on life, although the wench he argues with but obviously fancies is not nearly as attractive as the one I ended up with."

"Why am I not surprised that you like Mal? So the whole communicating in code thing..."

He chuckled when she trailed off, keeping his voice light and easy. "I hardly needed your television to learn that. And these magic phones of yours may make it quicker luv, but I'm rather adept at communicating clandestinely. Pirate."

"A phone isn't magic." Her retort came quickly, but without any heat. They'd had this conversation before, and he understood what she meant. Yet even as he was getting used to the wonders of her world he still marveled at them in a way she never could.

There was silence after that, and Killian debated on whether or not he should continue on the topic, bring up something else equally unimportant, or simply remain silent and allow her to gather her thoughts. There was something fragile in her voice, he had heard the edge of it even when she tried to hide it, and he wished more than almost anything that he could just hold her and comfort her.

There was a fourth option of course, pushing her to talk, finding out why she had called him at such an unholy hour. He barely considered that however; she would tell him when and if she wanted, and pushing would be the fastest way to make her back away. Although even if pushing would have worked he knew he wouldn't have done it; it meant nothing if he guilted her into speaking.

He held his silence for nearly a minute, and was about to say her name softly when he heard her whisper, "I dreamt she killed you."

"Oh, luv." It was obvious who the _she_ was, and he was careful to keep any signs of pity out of his voice, knowing that she would hear it and hate it. "I told you not to worry about me, remember?"

"And if I told you the same thing, could you do it?" Her reply was immediate, and Killian knew the answer without even thinking about it. He remembered fear and an ice cave and a lass so weak she hadn't offered even a token protest when he swung her up into his arms.

"I concede the point." He said simply, honestly, wanting nothing more than to erase the tinges of anxiety in her voice. "It was just a nightmare, luv. It wasn't real. I'm right here."

"I know it was a nightmare, I know, I just... I woke up and I had to be sure."

Her voice had started out strong, and he hoped for an instant he was on the right track, but when it broke at the end his heart broke with it as he hurried to reassure, "I'm not in Davey Jone's locker yet lass, and I have no plans of going there anytime soon."

Her only answer was a soft, choked sound he doubted she was even aware of. He couldn't stand to hear the pain in the sound, and hoped that loving teasing would work when soft sincerity had apparently failed. "Although I must say my heart leaps that you worried enough to call."

"Of course I did." He heard anger in her voice now, knew the warning signs when his Swan was starting to lose her temper, although he wasn't certain where he had mis-stepped. She generally responded well when he turned to teasing her, and he knew it was because she relished the fact that he wasn't pushing at her emotional walls. He knew it was what allowed her to be so easy with him, the fact that there was no pressure to be anything other than who she was. Which is why he didn't understand the sharp beginnings of rage that were threading into her voice as she continued, "And you're not going to tell me everything is going to be okay? You're not going to tell me to be brave? Or to be strong and believe in myself?"

"I do believe everything that everything will be okay, and most of the time you do as well." He responded at once, letting her hear the truth in his soft voice. Reminding her of what she already knew, because everyone needed that reassurance now and again, and he was honored that he was the one she turned to. "As for the other, I've seen you in action, luv. I know you're brave, I know you're strong, and you're not a woman who likes to waste time with the obvious."

"Yeah, I'm so strong that I called you at two in the morning because I had a bad dream."

He heard the self-loathing in her voice, but at least she didn't sound fragile anymore. "You don't always have to be the strong one, Emma. It's okay to lean on someone else every once and awhile."

She didn't say anything to that, which he supposed was better than her getting angry again. But he wanted her to understand, wanted her to know that leaning on someone else wasn't a weakness or something to feel ashamed of. It actually took a great deal of strength for someone as independent as she was to admit she needed help. Hoping it wouldn't be too much, but concerned that she hadn't responded to his attempt at reassurance, he asked gently, "Do you want me to come over?

"I don't think I'm up for pillaging and plundering at the moment."

He heard the smile in her voice, but this was one of those rare times when he didn't want to just let it go. "You know that's not what I mean, lass."

"You're offering to come over so that I don't have to be brave and strong. And I think that's all I needed."

Her voice was the strongest it had been since he had answered the phone, and he felt relief flow through him that he had managed to calm her down. "I can be there in..."

"No, I don't need you to come over. I guess I just needed you to say you would. Which is stupid, but..."

He cut her off at once. "It's not. I'm not used to having anyone I can lean on either, luv. Not used to having someone I can call in the wee hours before dawn, when dreams won't allow me to rest."

"You're not used to being able to _call_ anyone."

He chuckled then, this time allowing her to lighten the mood. "You know what I mean, luv."

"I do." While he could hear the effort it took, her voice was clear and growing stronger again. "I'm used to going it alone, and I'm working on that not being my default, because, because I don't always want to be alone. Sometimes I hate you for figuring that out, even before I did."

"Open book, remember?" He teased gently, remembering the panic in her eyes when he had read her so easily on the beanstalk. So used to hiding behind her walls that she hadn't known what to do with someone who slipped through them as if they weren't even there. He wondered sometimes if it had been that, as much as his association with Cora, that had sent her running as fast as she could away from him.

She had come so far since then.

"I'm sorry I woke you." A hint of embarrassment was back in her voice.

"It's more than okay, luv, as you well know." Killian smiled, mentally waving away the apology. As if she ever needed to apologize for reaching out to him, for needing him. It was something he wanted to thank her for, but her tone of voice had shifted, and he knew she had already pushed herself slightly past her comfort level during this short call. "Do you want to continue talking, or would you rather try to return to your slumber?"

"I think I can sleep now." Her voice was barely a whisper. "Killian, thank you."

"Whatever you need, luv, no matter the hour. You know that." It was an easy mix of simple statement and promise.

"I do." Emma answered softly. "It's still hard to believe at times."

"As long as it's easier than it used to be." He tried to make it more a statement than a question, keeping his voice soft, yet he couldn't completely hide his uncertainty.

"It is." She didn't hesitate, and he could hear the sincerity in her soft voice. "Goodnight, pirate."

His lips quirked up at the appellation, and the affectionate tone he could hear in her voice. It was one of the only times he'd ever heard the word -from someone other than another pirate- spoken with anything but derision.

He closed his eyes for a moment, recalling the dream that her phone call had awoken him from. That image would never be a reality, he'd had to trade one love for another, but there were plenty of other memories to make together. There were already so many that were so precious to him.

_You're getting my first dance at my first royal ball..._

He smiled at the flash that went through him of her resplendent in a red gown, her eyes twinkling with joy and fascination. For long minutes they'd been so lost in each other they had nearly forgotten the dire reasons they were at the ball in the first place. He would forever blame that image on the words that slipped out of his lips in a too husky tone, "Sweet dreams, my princess."

Killian's eyes widened as he realized what he had just said, and he hurriedly pulled the phone from his ear and hit the bright red bar on it before she could protest, or worse, realize that he hadn't meant to say it.

He couldn't help but chuckle to himself as he stared at her picture for a long moment before the phone powered down. With a sigh he set it on the table, rolling onto his back and pillowing his head on his arms as he stared at the ceiling.

He knew his Swan well, and she would react to the endearment in one of two ways. She would internalize it and refuse to think about the words, or she would convince herself that he had only been teasing. Either way she wouldn't mention it to him.

Killian sighed yet again, rolling on to his side restlessly. She was opening up so much, a flower blooming, he thought as he tried to imagine the Emma he'd gotten to know in Neverland willingly being so vulnerable and sweet with him. It was a side of her it had taken his stubborn lass a long time to trust him with, and he cherished it, glad he hadn't let slip the three words that were certain to send her running for the hills.

Trying to will himself back to sleep, Killian couldn't help whispering them into the air, wanting to remember what it felt like to say them out loud. "I love you."

THE END


End file.
